The present invention relates to an operating lever device of manual transmissions for motor vehicles.
Generally, a manual transmission is disposed in an engine room located in a front portion of a motor vehicle, whereas an operating lever comprising a shift lever and a select lever is disposed in the interior of the motor vehicle for receiving a driver. The manual transmission and the operating lever are connected to each other with a shift cable or rod and a select cable or rod to transmit movement of the shift lever to the manual transmission, obtaining shift operation.
For coupling of the operating lever with the shift cable and the select cable, the shift lever and a cross lever perpendicularly mounted thereto have an end formed with a spherical protrusion. On the other hand, the shift cable and the select cable have an end to which a mounting member with a spherical recess, which is engaged with the spherical protrusion, is connected.
However, in view of possible disengagement of the spherical protrusion of each of the shift lever and the cross lever from the spherical recess of each of the shift cable and the select cable, the spherical recess has a depth that enables engagement of substantially half or more of the spherical protrusion, which needs a time-consuming work with special tools, resulting in lowered working efficiency.
On the other hand, coupling of the operating lever with the shift cable and the select cable can be carried out by pins arranged through ring-shaped mounting members connected to the shift cable and the select cable. However, each pin needs an anti-loosening member for preventing disengagement of the pin, resulting in troublesome work and increasing the manufacturing cost due to increased number of parts.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an operating lever device for manual transmissions of motor vehicles that can be mounted without any time-consuming work and with improved working efficiency.